REGENT Craft has completed the first human-crewed flight of its Viceroy Seaglider prototype, advancing the development of its electric maritime transport technology.
The flight took place at REGENT’s headquarters on Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, with two captains on board. The Viceroy travelled 1,956ft (596m) at an altitude of 33ft (10m) above the water during a 30-second flight.
REGENT describes Viceroy as the largest all-electric wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) craft to have flown with people on board. The company said the test provides validation for the technology ahead of the final stage of its sea-trial programme.
The Viceroy is designed to operate in three modes: floating on its hull, travelling on hydrofoils and flying in ground effect close to the water’s surface. During normal operation, the vessel is intended to leave a dock on its hull before transitioning to hydrofoils and then to flight.
The 12-passenger Viceroy will be capable of carrying up to two crew and travelling at speeds of up to 180mph for distances of up to 180 miles. REGENT is developing the vessel as a potential option for coastal passenger transport, alongside cargo and defence applications.
The crewed flight follows testing of REGENT’s smaller, uncrewed Squire Seaglider. The company said it has spent 2026 conducting on-water tests and simulation work, including increasing the Viceroy’s hydrofoiling speed ahead of the flight.
REGENT co-founder and CEO Billy Thalheimer said:This is the moment we have been envisioning and tirelessly pursuing for the past five and a half years: REGENT has successfully proven safe, efficient ground-effect flight.
The Viceroy Seaglider flight marks the start of a new era in mobility, unlocking opportunities across passenger travel, defense missions, and cargo transport. I’m so grateful to the amazing team who made history today. We’re now moving quickly toward production to deliver Seagliders to coastlines around the world.
The company announced a 240 million USD Series B funding round in late August, with the investment intended to support manufacturing of its Viceroy and Squire Seaglider product lines.
REGENT is also developing Seaglider technology for defence uses. The company has a 15 million USD contract with the US Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory and a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with US Special Operations Command. Potential military applications include logistics, medical evacuation and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
In June, REGENT completed construction of a 255,000-square-foot Seaglider manufacturing facility at its headquarters in Quonset, Rhode Island. The site is intended to support structural assembly, wing and hydrofoil integration, battery and systems installation and water-based testing.
The company said it will continue flight testing the Viceroy prototype before moving towards full-scale production and deliveries to commercial and military customers.
Mike Klinker, co-founder and CTO at REGENT said:Completing this flight test validates years of rigorous engineering and operational work and gives us the confidence to move into full-rate production. We showed today that flying a Seaglider is every bit as smooth and safe as we designed it to be. I can’t wait to get onboard and to share the experience with others as we make our vision for the future of maritime mobility a reality.
